What Could've Been
by corneroffandom
Summary: Before his Wrestlemania tag team match, Dolph ponders his original plans.


Dolph Ziggler sits on a bench and stares ahead blankly. Big E and AJ are in the room, discussing their tag match that's upcoming, but his mind is far away as he stares down at the briefcase on the floor sitting between his legs. He's not sure really what the night will bring, if he'll have a chance to cash in or not, but... He knows how he'd thought it would _originally_ go. He himself had issued the challenge on Z!TLIS months and months ago, back when neither he or Zack Ryder had known what they'd be doing by this time of year, but although he had gotten a place on the card, Zack had been left off of it.

The Long Island Iced Z had tried playing it off on Twitter, going on and on about his match being against catering, but it was obvious how badly it still bothers him. And, despite their feud and everything else, that bugs Ziggler. Zack had worked hard to get where he'd been the year prior, just for it all to crash and burn, mean absolutely nothing within a few short months. Although he looks forward to an opportunity at the tag titles, perhaps leaving tonight as both World Champion _and_ tag champion, part of Dolph lingers on if he'd been able to compete against Zack tonight. The two of them could tear it up with the best of them at any time, and with the added bonus of it being on the Mania stage... he had no doubt that that match would've been incredible.

His sigh attracts the other two's attention and they look up with frowns on their faces, AJ skipping over to him with a small smile on her face. "What's wrong, Ziggy?" she asks quietly, trailing her fingers through his hair.

He sits there, wondering how best to word it. Everyone in the locker room looks at Zack as a joke, his tweets and mannerisms not doing him many favors, but he had seen the picture Hawkins had posted of Zack earlier, titling it Zack's Mania moment, and the Long Island Iced Z had looked so... glum, lonely, that it'd kind of hurt to look at it for too long, especially while already considering what might've been. "Just thinking about how I originally challenged Zack to a match tonight," he says with a wan smile. "Funny how quickly things change, huh?"

"Now look at you, about to become tag champions with Big E here... You really dodged a bullet on that one," she says gleefully, running her fingers through his hair and almost missing the look of distaste that crosses his face. "What, don't you think you did, Ziggy?"

He looks over at their enforcer for a moment before staring back at his hands. "No offense, Big E. Any title opportunity is great, and I'm looking forward to being co-champions with you. It's just... Zack deserved more than he got." He shrugs vaguely. "At least _some_ role on this card, I think." He doesn't bother looking up at E. or AJ, leaning over instead to dig through his bag, pulling out one of the stickers for his and Zack's match. "Instead he's left with nothing but these stickers." He taps it against his lips, wishing that he had the clout or ability to do something about it. _Maybe when I cash in,_ he thinks for a moment. _Maybe..._

AJ takes the sticker from him and examines it, her eyes gleaming with curiosity, before she looks back at him. Her smile is soft and encouraging. "I'm sure you'll think of some way to honor the match you almost had, Ziggy." She kisses him, handing the sticker back to him, before returning to her conversation with Big E., wanting to give him some time to think before their match. Dolph stares at it, finally knowing what he has to do.

When the match begins and everyone is standing around the monitors, watching, Zack Ryder is standing nearby, only waiting to see how Ziggler's match goes. It's not until the blond superstar enters the ring, leaning off of the apron to get the audience members hyped up, that it registers with him: the purple and pink zen symbol that Zack had used to try to advertise their match adorns his vest. He stares at it for a long moment, his eyes gleaming with bittersweet pain. Pulling his phone out, he tweets quickly to congratulate Dolph on his match, knowing that the man will see it later. Once the match is over with, Dolph coming up short but still putting on the best possible contest he could, Zack slips away and finds a quiet place to think, pulling a similar sticker out of his pocket.

He's still smiling halfheartedly down at it when footsteps head in his direction, a slightly frustrated Dolph joining him. "Hey," he greets him, glancing down at the sticker in his hand. He'd put the vest back on after getting checked out by the trainer, not wanting to leave the item of clothing in the locker room while off looking for Zack, knowing that doing so would risk people ruining it somehow. He can't wait until he cashes in and gets the World Heavyweight champion's locker room all to himself, so he doesn't have to worry so much about things like that.

"Hey," Zack echoes, staring at his jacket for a moment before turning his attention back to the one in his hand. "Interesting fashion statement, bro." He grins a little.

Dolph sneers a little and subconsciously runs a hand over the spot in his jacket. "I figured I might as well throw a little callback to our match, since I was the one who challenged you for it." He shifts a little, clearing his throat almost uncomfortably. "I'm sorry it didn't pan out."

"Me too, bro." Zack runs a hand over the sticker he has ahold of once more before grinning dully, tapping it against Dolph's jacket. "It was a nice dream, huh?"

"Yeah," he sighs with a wan smile. "Maybe some day we'll get to have that match after all, at a different Wrestlemania, like we deserved." Zack doesn't look like he really believes it, but he nods with a vague grin anyway.

"I'd enjoy that, bro."


End file.
